Multiple-hoist push-car



S. E. HARLOW.

MULTIPLE HOIST PUSH CAR.

APPLICATlON HLED JUNE 28, I919.

Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

mmwtoz 5. EuBaarluvl.

S. E. BARLOW.

MULTIPLE HOIST PUSH CAR.

. AFFLIQATION FILED JUNE 22, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Aug.

d a w uvcnfoz 5- E Barlow.

UNITE!) STATELE SAMUEL E. IBAELOW', 0F DENVER, COLORADO.

MULTIPLE-I'IOIST PUSH-GAR.

T a all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL E. BAnLow, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Multiple Hoist Push-Cars; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of re erence marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to hoisting devices, and more particularly to a push car or the like, upon which a plurality of hoists is mounted for the purpose of handling rails.

The object of the invention is to make it feasible to place rails which have been removed in track-repair, in the middle of the track and to then move them by the present invention to some general assembly point. It is often desirable to place removed rails in the middle of the track, as on bridges, trestlcs, in narrow cuts and tunnels, and at stations. It is also desirable to place the rails in the middle of the track at other points in order toleave the sides of the track free for trainmen and other railroad employees who are obliged to walk along sides of trains and'strings of cars for inspection purposes or the like, as well as to render it safer for passengers alighting from trains.

Briefly, the invention comprises a push car equipped with wheels and a framework upon which there is mounted a multiple hoist, each part of which is provided with a clutch, a ratchet and a dog, whereby one rail or several rails may be handled independently and suspended in position. The device also comprises means on the under side of the framework for maintaining the rails in position when suspended.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention.

Fig. 2 is chiefly an end elevation, taken on-the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 8 and 4: are detail views of the clutch and ratchet mechanism, showing the clutch in and out of engaging position, respec' tively.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patenhgd A n; 31 1920 Application filed June 28, 1919.

Serial No. 307,398.

5 is a modification of means for positloning the rails when suspended, and also is designed to indicate a method of unloadin the rails from the hoist. b

The framework of the push car comprises longitudinally extending beams 10, and cross bars 12, there being journaled at let on the under side of the beams 10, axles 16, upon which are mounted wheels 18. Upon opposite ends of the car spaced platforms 20 are provided, and upon these are mounted stand ards 22, carrying a shaft 2%, journaled thereon at 26, said shaft car ying a large gear wheel 28, with which there meshes a small gear 30, adapted to be rotated bV means of a crank 32. 'Gear wheel 30 is mounted upon ashaft 3 also journaled on the standards 22 (by means not shown), this shaft being equipped with a brake drum 36, over which passes a brake band 38, con nected with brake pedal 40, hinged to one of the p atforms 20 at 42. Splined upon the gear shaft 24 is a plurality of movable clutch-parts 50, adapted to engage clutch parts 52, connected with ratchets at, each of which carries a pulley member 56, receiving the hoist chains 58, which carry at their lower/ends tongs 60, for lifting rails, or other devices, such as hooks 62, for elevating any other objects that may have to be handled. A cross'rod ea is mounted on the standard 22 adjacent the shaft 21, and upon this red 64; there are mounted dogs 66, adapted to engage the ratchets 5 f. On the opposite side of the shaft 24-, another rod 70 is mounted, this rod carrying levers 72, for operating the clutch members 50. Secured to the ends of'the car on the under side thereof are cross beams 80, supported from the beams 10 by means of brackets 82, bolted to the beams 10 at 84. These cross beams 80 carry a plurality of spacing members 86, adapted to retain the rails It, indicated. in dotted lines in Fig. 2, in position when elevated, in order to prevent them from swinging from side to side, as they are carried along. A compressible material 88, of any suitable character, is secured to the under side of the cross beams 80 to cushion the rails It when drawn up against the beams.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5, a

cross beam 92 is shown suspended from the beams 1.0 and held in position. by

' brackets 90. In this form a plurality of wooden blocks 9 of the design shown, are nailed or bolted to the under slde of the Jeams 92, the bottoms of the spaces between these blocks being filled with compressible material 96, against which the rails B may be drawn.

In Fig. 5 a bar 100 is shown in position, this bar being used in unloading the rails and discharging them beyond the track in a manner presently to be described.

In operation of the device, it is assumed that rails which have been removed from the track in repairing are located inthe middle of the track ready for removal. If only one rail is to beraised from this point, one of the clutches 50 will be thrown in, the corresponding tongs 60 will be engaged with the ball of the rail, and by means of the crank 32 and the gears 30 and 28, the

chain 58 is wound up on the pulley 56 and the rail R is pulled up against the compressible material, as indicated in Fig.5, this material having suiiicient compressibility to permit it to compensate for the slight retraction of the ratchet 54 when it falls back into engagement with. its dog 66, the rail still being in engagement with the compressible material. This, together with the spacing members 86, orblocks94, as the case may be,.securely retains the rail against movement. The caris then moved along into position to remove another'rail. The clutch 50 for the rail already suspended is thrownout,'jand.another rail elevated with another clutch by the same process. In this manner, one or more rails are elevated up to the capacity of the car. The car is then 1 moved along to the point where the rails are being assembled in bulk. Greased barslOO are then placed across the track beneath the suspended rails, and the rails are then lowered on to the bars and released. The car, which is comparatively light, may then be lifted across the bars 100, or one side of the car may be tipped up and by elevatin one end of each of the bars 100, the rails I are skidded ofl beyond the side of the track on to the pile of rails being assembled. These assembled rails are subsequently to be removed by heavy, rail-loading derricks and large, power-operated tongs.

An advantage of thisinvention is that it permits a quick discharge of the load in the event of the sudden and unexpected approach of a train. This can be quickly done by tensing the cables '58, releasing'the dogs 66, and then lowering the load through the means of the brake mechanism 86, 38 and 40. The car then may be quickly removed from the-track or, in'case that there is not sufficient time to remove the car, the colli sion will not be serious'in' view of the fact that'the car carries no load;

' From the foregoing, it willbe seen that much of the labor of eightor ten men heretofore used to load rails on a push car, and unload the same, maybe dispensed with. It willalso be seen that this device makes it highly practicable to move old rails into the center of the. track in the operation of replacing rails, which greatly facilitates the work of alinement, gaging, spiking. and redressing, in connection with road repair. At the sametime, the sides of the track are kept free and the rails may be easily moved from the middle of the tracks.

I claim: I

1. In a push car hoist, a frame, wheels thereon, and hoisting means mounted on the frame and adapted to operate between the wheels and within the frame, said hoisting means comprising a plurality'of independently controlled elevating devices spaced side by side transverselyof thecarframe, and spaced means on the under side of the car adapted to maintain rails held by said spaced devices in spaced relation when-elevated.

2. In apush car hoist, a frame, wheels thereon, hoisting means mounted on the frameand adapted to operate between the wheels and within the frame, saidhoisting means comprising railengaging mechanism, and means secured on the under side of the car to be engaged by the rails for prevention of lateral movementof saidrails when elevated. 7

3. In a pushcarhoist, a frame,;wheels thereon, hoisting means mounted on the frame andv adapted to operatebetw'een' the wheels and within the frame," said hoisting means comprising a pluralityof cables, each cable having a rail engaging device to engage an individual rail, and spaced means located beneath the car to'maintain the position of the individual rails whenelevated. Y

4:. In a push car hoist, a frame, wheels thereon, hoisting means mounted onthe frame and adapted to operate between the wheels and within the frame, said hoisting means having rail-engaging devices, and

means located beneath the car to maintain the position of'the rails when elevated, said positioning means comprising spaced guides and cushions, the latter being adapted to havfi the rails drawn into engagement therewit 5. A method of handling rails removed during track-repair, comprising placing said rails in the middle ofthe track and approximatelyparallel therewith, lifting said rails mechanically and in a path wholly between the rails of the track, maintaining saidrails'elevated and in said parallel position, transporting the rails in said position to a point of discharge, and discharging them beyond the track.

6. A' methodof' handling rails removed during track-repair, comprising placing said rails in the middle of the track and apthe track and beneath the rails being hanproximately parallel therewith, lifting said dled, lowering the rails on to said bars, and rails mechanically and in a path Wholly beskidding the rails from said bars to a point 10 tween the rails of the track, maintaining beyond the track.

said rails suspended and in said parallel po- In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. sition, transporting the rails in said position to a point of discharge, placing bars across SAMUEL E. BARLOW. 

